Madden NFL 21 has received some of the lowest aggregate review scores in years for the series--although that hasn't stopped the game from selling very well. One of the main criticisms levelled at EA's latest is that Franchise mode has remained stagnant for another year, with no notable improvements or new additions. Following fan feedback, EA is looking to change that by releasing three planned post-launch Franchise updates.

　　The first of these has a targeted mid-November release window and will address a number of community requests. The studio has also ensured that all planned updates for Franchise mode won't require you to restart a Franchise to have access to any of the new additions.

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　　X-Factor/Superstar ability customization is one of the most highly requested features included in the first update. This will allow commissioners to assign X-Factor and Superstar abilities to any player using the edit player feature. A player will need to meet the criteria to unlock one of these abilities first, but once they do you can edit their X-Factor and Superstar abilities by selecting from those available within their position group. Users will have control over this functionality in both offline and online Franchises.

　　The second addition is another top community request and revamps the way statistics are displayed on a player card. There will now be more context to season stats, such as week, opponent, and outcome, while also showing what team the player was on for every year of their career.

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　　EA is also doing tuning work to player-development traits in Franchise mode to make sure there's a proper balance of Superstar and X-Factor players when progressing multiple years in a Franchise. A visual playoff bracket will be added into the game, too, reflecting the NFL's new Wild Card format and allowing players to see the full playoff picture.

　　EA is currently working on the implementation of these features and notes that things on the list might change. The company will share more information on a firm release date once it has one.

　　Madden NFL 21 is currently available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The game is coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X this holiday when those consoles release, and people can upgrade for free as part of the Dual Entitlement program. Madden NFL 21 will also come to Google Stadia this winter.

　　For more on this year's Madden, check out GameSpot's Madden NFL 21 review.